Starbucks is testing a new selection of grab-and-go lunch items at 100 downtown Chicago locations starting April 11.

Dubbed Mercato, the menu offers a more upscale approach to food than the protein boxes and frozen breakfast sandwiches currently found at Starbucks stores. Items will be made fresh each day at a local facility, and everything not sold by the end of the night will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

"I think it accommodates how people are eating today," said Sara Trilling, Starbucks senior vice president, food category and innovation. "People are pickier. They care more about where their food comes from."

The menu will be available starting in the mornings, so you can grab a sandwich or salad to eat later in the day along with your cup of joe. Starbucks does 50 percent of its business after 11 a.m., so some of the sandwiches are designed to be warmed up in store to go with an afternoon caffeine fix.

Diners can make their own combos by grabbing a half sandwich, such as herbed chicken, fig jam, whole grain mustard ricotta and arugula on a focaccia bun ($4.95) along with a side salad like the blend of thyme-roasted rainbow carrots, Tuscan kale and ancient grain topped with almonds with a dressing of red wine vinaigrette and preserved lemon yogurt ($5.25.)

To make lunch even more convenient, Starbucks is also looking at adding grab-and-go iced tea.

Starbucks senior product developer and chef Jane Hernandez said that the menu was designed to appeal to a wide variety of dietary needs, with vegetarian, vegan and high-protein options. She also had drink pairings in mind for each dish. The za'atar chicken & lemon tahini salad—which features ancient grains, chunky cucumber tzatziki, marinated carrots and chopped romaine lettuce ($8.95)—complements the citrus notes in cold brew coffee, while their take on PB&J—chunky almond butter, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries on wheat bread ($5.45)—pairs with a French roast or shaken black iced tea.

While there's no set timeline for the menu test, Starbucks hopes to learn from how Mercato is received in Chicago and eventually roll out new lunch options nationwide. This isn't the first time Chicago has been a proving ground for the company—The Second City was home to the first Starbucks store to open outside of the Pacific Northwest.

"It's cool to be launching in Chicago," Trilling said. "It's an important market for us. It's a diverse customer base that has discerning tastes."